Is This Nonprofit Accelerator a Problem-Solver or a Roadblock?


Foundation: Google.org

credit: buzinesslink

Martin Levine of NonProfit Quarterly examines a tech-backed nonprofit accelerator and poses a round of questions asking if this philanthropic effort helps solve problems like inequality, environmental threats, forced migration, and illiteracy or its partnerships make it part of the problem.

Cueing from a Fast Company article describing a tech-backed nonprofit accelerator, Fast Forward, Levine writes that the company is available to very-early-stage nonprofit startups, providing them with $25,000 coupled with training and mentoring. Just recently, Fast Forward has announced it had secured a new round of funding and raised $5 million in new philanthropic funding from leading companies, such as Google.org and many others.

Levin points out that Fast Forward claims its network has touched 51 million individuals and received more than $100 million in funding. So skeptics might wonder if the $5 million might be better spent going directly into the nonprofits' coffers.

Levine asks, do efforts of this kind obscure the severity of the problems an out-of-control extractive economy creates?

Levine quoted Ruth Cambridge who underscored the message of Anand Giridharadas, author of Winner Take All, "It remains to be seen... whether the nonprofit sector will begin asking itself some deeply uncomfortable questions."

According to Levine, these are tough questions when money is tight and dreams and passion are high. Read the Entire Article


Selected Grant News Headlines

A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.

Tampa Bay Innovation Center Names Startups for Spring Accelerator Program

The Tampa Bay Innovation Center is kicking off its spring accelerator program, and it's got eight startups on its list. Among them: AgWise, which focuses on the climate impact of agriculture's...more

Impact Pioneers Network Accelerates Growth for Filipino Impact Enterprises

A "first-of-its-kind impact investing network" in the Philippines is putting its money where its mouth is, in the form of collateral-free loans to women-led social and environmental...more

Ai for Ias: How Artificial Intelligence Will Impact Investment Advisers

"It is simply not good enough that, for many advisers, their understanding of AI is that information goes into a black box,'magic happens' and something comes out." So said the outgoing director...more

Impact Investment Strategies Unveiled in New Genconnectu Course by Vegtech ...

"The future is green, and it's ours to invest in." That's the takeaway from Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest, who is offering an online course on "Impact Investing with Plant-based...more

Women of Impact: Alba Forns and Solar-Financing Platform Climatize

"Without actively looking for it, I came across a problem to solve, a powerhouse co-founder and an idea worth pursuing, so I decided to go for it," Alba Forns tellsEquities News. Forns is the...more

Positioning Kenyan Livestock Sector for Impact Investment

It's no secret that Africa's livestock industry plays a big role in the region's economy. In fact, the demand for livestock products is expected to grow by 50% by 2030, notes Business...more

Ford Fund Rebrands as Ford Philanthropy
Foundation: Ford Motor Company Fund

The Ford Motor Company's philanthropic arm is getting a new name: Ford Philanthropy. The rebranding reflects Ford's 75-year legacy of "driving impact in Ford communities around the world," says...more

Pressr: Sustainova Startup Challenge 2024: Catalyzing Innovation for Sustainable Development

The winner of this year's Sustainova Startup Challenge in Saudi Arabia has a message for the rest of the world: "If you want to save the planet, you have to start now." The startup contest,...more

Greening the Concrete Jungle: Pakistan'S Path to Climate Resilience

Pakistan's capital is home to more than 200 million people and is expected to see a massive increase in population by 2050 as the country's economy continues to grow at a rapid rate, the BBC...more

Masungi Project Wins Social Innovation Award

The Philippines' Masungi Geopark Project has been awarded the " biosphere sustainability award" at the 2024 Asia Pacific Social Innovation Partnership Awards in Taiwan. The award "underscores the...more





John Converse Townsend, a Forbes contributor, shares what can the private sector do for a social enterprise. He encourages social enterprises to reach out to corporations for help to scale up their businesses.



Federal Government Grant and Assistance Programs


Direct Housing_Natural Disaster Loans and Grants | Migrant Education_Coordination Program | Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program | Indian Child Welfare Act_Title II Grants | College Access Challenge Grant Program | Fisheries Finance Program | Regional Environmental Priority Projects | Indian School Equalization Program | | Site Style by YAML | Grants.gov | Grants | Grants News | Sitemap | Privacy Policy

Edited by: Michael Saunders

© 2008-2024 Copyright Michael Saunders